𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 ᯓ outer banks

chapter ninety-six

EVERYTHING FEELS NORMAL the night they get back from the party where John B nearly kills Topper. John B doesn't speak again on the situation that night and instead goes straight into the house and honestly, Brooklyn is grateful, because she can't deal with him right now, not when he doesn't realise what he's done and how this whole situation could destroy everything.

Brooklyn sits outside with a beer in her hand at three in the morning, her knees tucked up to her face and a blanket around her shoulders.

Everything feels calm despite the recent events. "You okay, babe?" she hears behind her and when she doesn't speak, JJ sits next to her and he cuddles next to her, an arm around her shoulders to comfort her, but all this is too much for her to handle and she feels she could cry.

"I love my Dad," she starts. "I always have. But he always did have a favourite and it was obvious that it wasn't me because I wasn't the kid who was obsessed with gold and fishing and adventures, I was quiet and reserved and I enjoyed my own company, and I still do, but I haven't had that in a while because I've been around all of you for so, so long and it's overwhelming."

She takes a breathe and starts again, "And, yes, you all make me so happy but... I'm so tired of trying to fix everything." She has tears falling from her eyes but she's brushing a hand across her face to wipe them in frustration. "My Dad could be dead right now and the last conversation I had with him was a fight," she laughs at how ridiculous that is. "My brother could get arrested for his stupid actions and I've lost my best friend all in the same night."

"You spoke to her?" JJ asks and Brooklyn's head falls.

"She said that if I walked off, our friendship would be over and, well, I did walk off," Brooklyn says, her eyes boring into JJ's. "But, of course, I'll fix this. I always do."

JJ snatches the beer bottle from her hand, places it on the table besides him, and takes both her hands in his. "You can't fix everything, Brooke, okay? It is not your job to fix what happened tonight. It's already happened, okay? You can't do anything more about it, and yes, John B is an idiot, and I'm sorry about your Dad and Kiara, but Big John is alive, okay?" How can he possibly know that? She still nods anyway and he keeps speaking, "You and John B can speak tomorrow, and Kiara will come around eventually, okay? Everything will fix itself, baby, you don't have to do anything."

Brooklyn leans into him and cries and JJ just holds her because what else could he do?

The next morning, JJ and Brooklyn are awoken to John B ringing the bell their father would always ring. And when John B steps over to talk to them, he of course, talks about Topper, "It's something about the dude's face, you know? Like the whole, "No hard feelings, bro." You know what I'm saying?"

JJ places a hand on Brooklyn's thigh, reassuring her that she doesn't have to say anything and that John B needs to take it out on Topper. "It's kinda hard not to have hard feelings about that," JJ says and Brooklyn does agree with that.

"It's just that... that look. That Kook look, you know?" JJ and Brooklyn nod.

"It was clear "provucation,"" JJ says and Brooklyn looks at him confused.

"Provocation," John B corrects.

"Provocation, and, uh, I mean, you had to do what you had to do. No choice about it," JJ tells him to keep him happy, squeezing Brooklyn's leg because he knows her well enough to know that she's close to calling him out.

"Thank you. No choice." He glared at Brooklyn and she ignores him. "Anyway we gotta figure out a plan to get to South America, like, yesterday. I mean they've got our dad."

"You have any food real quick, though?" JJ asks and Brooklyn smacks his arm as they get up from the sofa to follow John B inside.

John B starts to strategise, "So I was thinking passports. We don't have those. Therefore, we can't fly commercial. We need other ideas."

He walks over the fridge to check for food while JJ asks, "Don't you got any money that you took from Portis?"

"I gave that to my dad," John B tells them as he pulls out something to potentially eat but after smelling it, they realise it's far from edible.

"So then what about a boat?" he asks. "If we got a boat, maybe we could get down there 'cause the HMS... Yeah, you know about the HSM."

JJ rummages through the fridge instead while John B checks the cupboards. "Doesn't Limbrey have a boat?" Brooklyn asks.

"She took that back," John B replies. "And the HMS is not gonna make it down to the Port of Spain, so out on the boats."

"So what you're saying is, we don't got any money, and we also don't have a boat that can make it to South America. Great," he speaks, and it is just their luck that they have no way of getting down there. "Actually, I might know a guy. I'm onto something."

Brooklyn hears a car pull up and realises it's the cops. "Shit. Cops are here. Everyone get down," she hisses, grabbing her brother's arm to pull him down.

"All right, John B!" Shoupe calls from outside and the three crawl around to find some place to hide without him seeing them through the window. "Anybody home?"

The theee of them attempt to hide under a small table under the window which is tighter than they realise. "All right, John B, I know you're in there." Shoupe begins to bang on the door and Brooklyn sees him from the corner of her eye peering through the door.

"If he sees you, it's game over," JJ warns.

"You need to come out and talk to me. It'll be a whole lot worse if you don't," Shoupe tells him, clearly trying to lure him out.

A couple minutes later they hear the car drive away and Brooklyn is relieved to be freeing herself from under this table. JJ suddenly has a plan that he thinks might work and the twins listen as he talks, "It's a little sketchy. Might not like it, but I think it will work."

John B grabs his arms and stops him from walking out the door. "What plan?"

"If I tell you now when the plan is half-baked, you'll get all negative," JJ assured him.

"Look, I'd settle for a quarter-baked plan," John B tells him. JJ starts to mimic him as he's walking off and John B smacks his arm away. "Don't you dare make that noise at me."

The trio walk out the door and towards the Twinkie, ready to trust JJ and his... plan.